That's right, I am going to be planting this year. Since I do not have the best of luck planting directly into the ground, I am going with raised beds. Doesn't seem too difficult. I have the seeds and am getting ready to sow them. Next I need to find some inexpensive wood to make the beds. Then I need to figure out where to put them, in the front or back. My yards are not fenced in so I am trying to think which would be a better location. I have various veggies to plant and then I am wanting to plant a couple flowers...I will definitely post pictures before, during and after!

That sums up my way of eating lately. It has been cold and cloudy and dreary lately. I have noticed that during this kind of weather I tend to want to eat and eat, which I have been doing. When it is sunny, I tend to be outdoors, running around and sticking to plan. So yeah, I've dropped the ball..but I picked it back up and am moving on.

Becky, thank you for being my friend. For noticing when I am not posting much. For checking on me. Thank you for being there. YOU help to keep me on my toes. So yeah, THANKS!

I was doing some recipe searching for something to use with my leftover pork steaks when I stumbled upon this recipe. Its a civil war era dish called "Hog and Hominy". I will cook up some fresh cornbread to go with. So, this is what we are having for dinner tonight. Its only supposed to reach 50 today and its supposed to rain! It feels quite chilly right now.

"Dice up the pork and stir it into a medium-sized saucepan with a can of white or yellow hominy with the liquid, a dash of garlic, a tablespoon of diced onion, and a teaspoon of parsley flakes. Heat through, salt and pepper to taste and serve with fresh hot cornbread."

I will post a follow up tonight or tomorrow and let you know how it turns out!﻿

Down 2 pounds for the week!!! That is really exciting! I am trying to take it slow so that "this time" it stays off. I am doing Weight Watchers, er, with a new twist. I track points and keep track of my weight online, but in reality, I am using the daily calorie intake suggested by the American Heart Association. Now, I'm not saying that Weight Watchers doesn't work, it does! But I am doing what works best for me, so please, no flaming.

I am consuming around 1800 calories a day, give or take a few. If I need more, I eat more. I am in no rush. All I know is that I am feeling better than I have in a very long time. I have loads of energy, I am drinking lots of water and I am moving more than I used too.

So here we are, 19 pounds down since January 8th. Not a lot when you think of the time, but I have kept it off, and that is what matters most to me. 6 pounds to go until I get to wear my Biggest Loser shirt! Woot!

Do you eat cereal? If you do, you are in luck! For every 10 boxes of Kellogg's cereal you buy you can get $10.00 in free gas. You can do this 5 times thus allowing you $50.00! Follow the link and print the rebate form 5 times!

My old Capri's were falling off me, oh darn! I have jeans that fit comfortably, but no Capri's. I like to wear Capri's in Spring and Summer more than jeans so a new pair were in order. I could have went to the thrift stores, but with the price of gas being what it is I opted for a local store that has them for 16.00! Score! Its nice to be feeling comfortable in the new ones versus swimming in the old! Losing weight really feels good!!!

Today I registered for Fall classes at my school. 2011/2012 school year will be my last before I transfer across the street to the university. I could have transferred sooner, but the classes are much cheaper at the community college level, so I am taking all my general classes here.

My major is sociology. My original plan was to major in education, but due to the current economy/jobs situation I did not want to limit myself to one specific occupation. I still would love to teach, but now I will have a degree that gives me a few more options.

Its hard to believe that in a couple months I will have 2 years behind me. While losing my job was initially devastating, it has really turned into a blessing. As they say, when one door closes, another one opens. So true.

We made many memories over Spring Break. We played out in the yard, picnics at the parks, stayed up late and camped out in my room. Clearly, the best memory of the week was St. Patricks day at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

We were lucky enough to see the new elephant exhibit, watch the Sea Lion show, ride a carousel for the first time, gaze in awe at the meerkats and walked all over the place, 5 hours in total.

My scale is now reading in kilograms. I have no idea why. So rather than buy a new scale, I just used the online conversion. Of course now I am not so anxious to get on the damn scale LOL! Interestingly enough I have felt for some time that it is not giving me accurate readings due to my analog showing 10+ pounds difference.

Next, I am making my first ever batch of 15 bean soup and 3 hours into it I still have some beans that are hard. Aye! I was really excited to try this, but I don't think it turned out..time will tell. :(

On a good note, I received a BEAUTIFUL necklace I recently purchased from Scotties Designs. It is the multi-colored necklace on the bottom right and it is AWESOME! Thank you Carrie! Good price, good jewelry!

If you ever had a few days where you just felt extremely blah, not in the mood for crap, semi depressed, well, then you too have felt THE FUNK! That's where I have been. Saturday and Sunday, coming off a 1 pound gain, I was not doing so well. I over ate both days and have since moved on. Yesterday I stayed within point range, until I ate the 6 or 7 tootsie roll midgets. Today, on to bigger and better things. Cleaning rooms, reorganizing and staying focused. I think focus is the biggest key to losing weight. You have to focus on your motivating factor, focus on what you put in your mouth and focus on sticking with is. So today, from FUNK to FOCUS!

Of course it also helps that Biggest Loser is on tonight. :)

Hope you all are staying focused on your goals and that you have an awesome Tuesday.

I am seriously thinking of investing in one. I found one at Walmart that would be ideal for me and its about 130-140. Not sure if I want to spend that kind of money, but on the other hand I know I need to have something to exercise on. Since I don't have a sitter or a spouse, I am limited as to where I can go with my 3 year old. I won't even mention how wild he is in public. So it comes down to walking in my living room or a stationary bike. I am worth it. I can ride it while I watch tv. Its a recumbent bike, so it would not put much stress on my knee as the upright bike.

was not a good day. For those who follow my blog, you know Saturday is weigh in day. Well, I gained 1 pound. I cheated a couple times, can't blame anyone but myself. I mean it was not big cheats, certainly not the kind of cheat that equates to a pound gain.

I find that when I get bummed out about weight loss on WW, my mind automatically spins to Atkins. I think "Well if I were on Atkins I probably would have lost 3-5 pounds." or "On Atkins I don't have to count anything, I can eat all the steak I want." But then, when I calm down, I realize that while yes, Atkins is some good eating, I cannot stick with low carb over my lifetime. In fact, I need a variety of things to be able to stay on track. My weakness? My weakness is that I want to over eat. I want to pig out. I want to feel stuffed. Stuffed=satisfied in my distorted way of thinking. I look at myself in the mirror. Stuffed is why I am the weight I am today,.

So enough moping and whining. I want to be healthy, I am not looking to be anorexic, just needing to feel good, to be in shape, to live long enough to see my kids grow up, Not really much to ask for I don't think.

I have never been a big water drinker. Truth be told, for most of my adult life, water has been replaced with Diet Coke. I literally would go weeks with no actual water consumption. Well, that has changed. I quit the Diet Coke for about a month. I began drinking water. LOTS of water. So much water that it felt like my bladder was floating to my neck for several days. I am drinking Diet Coke again, but on a different level. I quit because I thought the aspartame as affecting me. What I am discovering is that the dehydration was affecting me. Before, when I was thirsty, I would always reach for a Diet coke. Now, I reach for water and have Diet Coke as a treat!

So after all this, I wanted to know what exactly is the hype about water? Here is what I found:

1. Water suppresses the appetite …

People who drink more are proven to feel hungry less often, as water makes a good appetite suppressant.

2. Water helps to reduce cholesterol …

Water has a drastic impact on cholesterol, and will reduce the levels in your body. This should help you slim down much faster.

3. Water helps to tone muscles …

If your muscles are dehydrated, you won’t see any toning, no matter how much exercise you do. Up your intake in water and you’ll see a difference fast.

4. Water is necessary for proper digestion …

The digestive system requires so much fresh water a day to work, and if you are short of this, you will feel bloated and tired.

5. Water helps the liver to function …

The liver metabolizes fat, which is very important when you are trying to lose weight. However, it requires a lot of water to do this successfully, and if it doesn’t have enough, it will just store the fat.

6. Water helps soothe digestive problems …

If you are suffering from digestive troubles, try drinking a few glasses of water. This should help jump start your system again, as lack of water will cause the entire process to stop.

7. The right amount of water causes the body to stop retaining water …

If you usually don’t drink enough, your body will have retained water to make up for it. This water retention can add pounds to your weight, and make you seem very bloated.

8. Water stops you confusing hunger and thirst …

It can be very easy to think you are hungry when in fact you are very thirsty.

9. Water moisturises the skin and makes it more radiant and supple …

All the super models are known to drink about 68 ounces of water per day to make sure their skin is hydrated and looks its best. With the weight loss your skin will go through a lot of changes too and it will desperately need a lot of liquid.

10. Water washes the toxins out of the body …

Being in a good health is vital if you are trying to lose weight. And nothing does it better than drinking water. It washes out the toxins, making your body “cleaner” and healthier. Which is a very important condition under which your body will be able to restore its balance and get into shape.

Thanks to Becky for sharing this article. Like Becky, my kids are my motivation and this story speaks volumes.

Find Motivation in Your ChildrenParents must meet the needs of their children. Sure, they'll need a house and a room and a place to sleep, Halloween costumes, birthday candles and wrapped presents.

But for now, all they really need is one thing--for you to be at the top of your game. They need parents who are fit, healthy and happy enough to do what needs done and have fun doing it. They need a parent who'll be playing on the floor more than lying on the couch. Your kids need a quick, clear thinker, a heavy lifter, and an all-around fixer of things mechanical and personal.

When you're fit and healthy, you can give your kids everything that they need. They can be your main motivation to meet your fitness goals.

Have you ever stopped to think about why you really feel the need to lose weight, get in shape or pursue any other goal? Is there something big you'd like to achieve? Is someone counting on you?

Your future depends on what you do today. Choices you make now can affect you (and your family) for years down the road. Even the smallest decisions will determine whether you wind up at the top of your game or struggle along with the status quo.

To succeed at your health goals, your main motivation should grip your attention like a new love. Your main motivation is the best reason you can think of for getting up, getting active and getting healthy. Your main motivation can be your very own kids.

I made a pizza from near scratch for the first time last night. I kept it simple and still forgot my veggies at the store. I purchased the Mia Whole Wheat Thin Pizza Crust that came in a 2 pk. (5 points for 1/4 pizza which also includes the sauce that comes with it). Then I bought fat free shredded cheddar cheese, pepperonis and black olives. I had planned to also get bell peppers and onions, but was diverted by my 3 year old.

So the instructions say that the crust is done in 5-7 minutes on 425 or when you see the cheese melted. At 7 minutes, it was melted and out it came. The bottom of the pizza had just enough crunch to give it a good texture. It was "OK". I had wanted a Boboli but they did not have it in my WM. This brand has a very "wheaty" taste to it. On an interesting note, my son, who does not care for pizza all that much, LOVED IT! I mean he never eats a full slice of pizza and he ate 2, so that was cool.

The overall points for 1/4 pizza with olives, pepperoni, cheese and the sauce that comes with it was like 7 points. It went well with my salad. I have one more crust to use and I think I might go "Mexican style" with this one!

OK, so I am currently at a 17 pound loss. I've made a list of rewards and revised and revised. I love the Biggest Loser show, I have watched every season! So I decided for my 25 pound goal I wanted a Biggest Loser shirt. So today, with 8 pounds to go, I ordered it! It will take 4-7 days to get here. I am not going to put it on until I get to my 25 pound goal, just want to have it on hand and ready for when that day comes. I also think that I am going to choose my rewards as I get closer to each goal.

That is the official number of pounds lost so far since January 8th. This week alone I lost 1 pound.

I had lost the first chunk with Atkins, then switched to Weight Watchers where I have lost a total of 4 pounds. I would have lost more with WW, I believe, but I had some issues coming off Atkins. At any rate, I am finally at a TRUE 17 pound weight loss. I feel great!

OK, now for the confession. I only worked out 1 time this week. My body is really out of shape at my current weight. For now I am simply going to do leg lifts and lunges with some minor crunches. Cardio is too much for me right now..perhaps when I get another 20 off. I cheated last Saturday and didn't keep track of points. Resumed like normal on Sunday and didn't bat an eye or beat myself up about it. As a matter of fact I think I may have a splurge day each week. Not an eat crap all day kinda splurge, but maybe some extra treats and a meal out. We'll see.

I turned in enrollment forms for my 3 year old for Early Bird Headstart in August. Tomorrow I will turn in my paperwork for the other EBH. Between the two I would say we have about a 90% chance of getting in. One program operates 8-1230 and the other is 8-230. Both are on a point system, highest points get in. Fingers crossed we get one or the other. I won't know til May on one and July on the other. I'm hoping to find a part time job if I can get him in. :)

On a totally unrelated note, I LOVE Thomas bagel thins. Plus they are 1 point less than 2 pieces of bread, so I used it for a sandwich for lunch and it rocked! YUM! I see bagel toast for breakfast on the horizon. Just 3 points for a whole wheat bagel thin, oh yeah!

I haven't posted in a few days, I've been quiet busy really. For starters, I found out that I need an additional math course for my major. I was proud to be finished with math, it was my most detested subject, alas that is not the case. So now, in the fall I get to take Statistics. I can either take Stats at my college or when I transfer across the street to the University I would have to take Trig, Calc or Stats. I'm hoping this class is not to hard, ugh!

On a lighter note, I am trying to get my daughter into a Daisy Girl Scout troop. I left a message today with the area troop leader(?) and am awaiting a call back. My daughter decided she'd rather do this than ballet in the fall. I'm glad for this choice! The downside is we live in a small town, so I am sure there will be a commute somewhere involved. Hopefully, with the price of gas rising, it will not be too far.

School is going well. I register for fall semester on the 21st. Spring break is right around the corner, yahoo!

As for WW, everything is going great. Sticking to my points. Having a hard time getting into an exercise regime. I need to get my legs in shape, they are very, very stiff. Drinking LOTS of water!